WASHINGTON: The US has failed to secure international support for sanctions against Iran and President George Bush has again refused to rule out nuclear strikes if diplomacy fails to curb the Islamic republic's atomic ambitions.

Asked if his options included planning for a nuclear strike, Mr Bush said: "All options are on the table. We want to solve this issue diplomatically and we're working hard to do so."

Tehran says it is only developing nuclear energy, but declared last week that it was aiming for industrial-scale production with enriched uranium.

At a meeting in Moscow of deputy foreign ministers of the United Nations Security Council's permanent members - the US, Britain, France, China and Russia - plus Germany, Washington argued for sanctions to be imposed on Iran. Russia and China resisted and the meeting ended with no consensus.